Hydro One approves moratorium on disconnecting customers

Hydro One has approved a moratorium on disconnecting customers from their electricity services.

The announcement was made Monday; the same day as The Sun Times published a story that quoted United Way of Bruce Grey executive director Francesca Dobbyn urging the utility to halt disconnects.

“Hydro One instituted its winter moratorium for disconnections as of Friday, Nov. 25, one week earlier than usual,” Ferio Pugliese, executive vice-president of customer care and corporate affairs, said in a statement.

“We are changing the way we do business. Especially, how we view and care for our customers and as a result we are currently reviewing all of our customers-facing policies. This is one of many changes we will be undertaking.”

Hydro One has an existing policy that it will not disconnect customers who have fallen behind on their payments from Dec. 1 to March 31.

Dobbyn said she e-mailed Hydro One CEO Mayo Schmidt Friday to ask that the company stop disconnecting people immediately.

She also sent the company a report that she said laid out why people are struggling to pay their hydro bills, including how conservation efforts in the home are no longer enough to significantly reduce monthly bills because of delivery and other fees.

“I said it's very simple, just send out a Tweet; just Tweet it and tag the United Way in the Tweet that you're going to stop disconnections. And at 3:25 today, they did,” she said.

The Tweet from Hydro One to the United Way reads: “Moratorium began Nov 25. All customer facing policies are under review as we become a customer-centric service provider.”

Dobbyn said she and her staff are ecstatic about the moratorium.

She said last week, the agency heard from two to three people each day who either had a disconnection scheduled or had a visit from Hydro One about a disconnection.

She said this is the busiest year ever for people seeking help with paying their Hydro One bills. With five weeks still to go until year's end, the United Way has already seen both requests for assistance and the total need jump by 27 per cent from last year to this year.

Dobbyn thanked her staff and the media for their help as she sought the moratorium.

“Without the media, this would never have had a voice,” she said.

Dobbyn said now that a moratorium has been granted, she has offered to help Hydro One with a review of its disconnection policies.

Hydro One is not saying whether or not Dobbyn's actions led to the moratorium.

When asked via e-mail, a communications officer responded, “This is a result of Hydro One currently reviewing all of our customers facing policies.”

After the Sun Times' story was published, NDP Energy Critic Peter Tabuns issued a news release that echoed Dobbyn's calls for a moratorium.

Tabuns said while Premier Kathleen Wynne has acknowledged soaring hydro prices are a mistake, Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault “refuses to do anything to correct the mistake.”

Tabuns said his concern is what will happen to families in the spring when Hydro One's winter disconnection moratorium ends.

“There is a newspaper report today showing that food bank use is soaring because families can’t afford to pay their hydro bill and their grocery bill,” Tabuns said during Question Period Monday. “This past summer, the Minister of Energy refused to call energy poverty a crisis, even though 60,000 Ontario families have had their hydro cut off. We can expect the number of disconnections to soar next spring, when Hydro One will resume cutting off families who can’t pay their bills.”

A spokesperson for the Minister of Energy said the ministry of economic development and growth has a bill before the House of Commons right now called Bill 27, the Burden Reduction Bill. It contains a clause that would grant the Ontario Energy Board greater power in preventing people from being disconnected during the winter months.

“Hydro One has a policy in place to prohibit winter disconnection to its customers. Passing Bill 27 would allow the OEB to implement similar policies across the board. The winter is quickly approaching and we want to get this bill passed. It leads me to ask – does the Opposition plan to move unanimous consent on this bill?” says a statement from the minister's office.

The ministry also says the Liberal government is “committed to ensuring affordable access to our clean, reliable electricity system.”

The province, it says, announced new measures in the Throne Speech that add to its pre-existing programs for helping customers with their bills.

“Through powers from the province, the Ontario Energy Board has implemented enhanced consumer protection rules that all local distribution companies must follow, including requiring a minimum 10 days advance notice of disconnection, with accompanying resources to help customers with their arrears. And providing all customers with the option of a payment plan to meet their monthly bills. Customers in emergency situations and facing disconnection are also eligible through the OEB for LEAP – the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program – which provides emergency financial support and special, more flexible customer service rules.”